ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — for catching
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. net — in sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — happy
  21. object — a thing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com